Annual Presidents' Meeting

The Annual Presidents' Meeting (APM) is the centerpiece of APRU’s calendar of events. Leaders of APRU member universities meet to interact on issues relating to higher education and to the future of the consortium. The event usually takes place over two and a half days, beginning with a welcome dinner, and encompassing an APRU Forum which may include keynote speeches, discussion forums, and panel and group discussions. There is also a half day set aside for the APRU Business Meeting where there is a review of the overall direction and implementation of APRU’s policies and initiatives. Host universities typically provide all meals and two-way airport transfers for guests, as well as social activities and/or workshops for participants’ spouses. The APM usually takes place in June.

The Future of the Pacific and its Societies was the focus of the annual meeting of the presidents of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities at UNSW Sydney, 25-27 June, 2017. The meeting began with a briefing on the state of the Pacific Ocean and the implications for social equality and sustainability. Leading scientists and international policy leaders were invited to brief the presidents and senior international leaders on these emerging challenges and the actionable steps for universities. Over the three-day meeting, member universities agreed to address the science and policy challenges collectively to ensure the long-term well-being of one of the world’s most important resources.

The APRU Impact Report 2016 provides for the first time the evidence base for the contribution of leading research universities to the Asia-Pacific’s most pressing challenges and to the social and economic well-being of societies. This report provides an overview of the expertise of APRU’s member universities and the current state of play regarding international collaboration in key fields of research and education. It does this through contextual data, research metrics and case studies.

(Photo: University of Malaya)

President Tony Chan, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), demonstrated how APRU presidents could employ the report on the public policy front, for instance, as a useful piece of resource to inform government agencies, such as the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong, on the contribution of research universities on resolving societies’ most pressing challenges, whilst advocating for further investment in research.

(Photo: University of Malaya)

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, University of Malaya (UM), spoke about UM’s contribution to society by highlighting two cases in the report. They were case study 9: UM’s Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS’ (CERIA) needle exchange and methadone programme efforts reduced the spread of HIV epidemics driven by drug injection; and case study 21: UM’s Centre for Separation Science and Technology’s (CSST) built a mobile ultrafiltration system which supplied clean water to disaster victims.

(Photo: University of Malaya)

Dr Brad Fenwick, Senior Vice President for Global Strategic Alliances, Elsevier, and APRU Senior Advisor, stated that the report provided tangible and direct evidence of the high calibre impact that APRU institutions have made through international collaboration among member universities.

Presidents emphasise APRU’s role of international advocacy

“Government and industry across APEC economies are increasingly looking to leading research universities for a number of challenging issues such as global health, multi-hazards and risk management, climate change and sustainability, population ageing and gender equity, among others. As APRU moves to a more international role of advocacy, the Annual Presidents Meeting is the stage for APRU presidents to discuss these issues and share new ideas for the future.”

Click here to view photographs from the meeting. Click here to view the program, participants list and presentations.

The Presidential Retreat and 19th Annual Presidents Meeting which was hosted by President Toshio Hirano, Osaka University, was one of the best attended meetings in APRU’s history, drawing over 106 representatives from 35 member universities, including 26 APRU presidents. This marked the second time the Annual Presidents Meeting was held in Japan with Keio University hosting the meeting in 2008.

In his opening address, APRU Chairman, President C.L. Max Nikias, University of Southern California (USC), postulated that the high attendance of presidents was a testament to the growing importance of APRU’s evolving mission. Describing his vision as APRU’s Chair, he added, “I have focused on increasing cooperation among member universities in order to leverage our collective expertise and resources. Our partnerships across public and private sectors support growth and innovation throughout the region, and together, our institutions are natural incubators for the leaders who will confront tomorrow’s most pressing challenges.”

The theme of this year's meeting was " The University as an Agent for Global Transformation," which involved revisiting the mission of research universities in the 21st century, as well as the university's role as an instrument of global transformation. President Hirano, Osaka University, also stressed that APRU member universities were pioneering transformations taking place across Pacific Rim nations. He said, “(APRU) universities train leaders and professionals of the next generation, pioneer innovations that will enrich society and set the course for the growth and prosperity of this region and beyond”.

The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) held its 18th Annual Presidents Meeting (APM 2014) in Canberra, Australia from June 23 to 25, 2014. 18 presidents and over 60 delegates from 30 APRU member universities attended the three-day meeting.

Hosted by the Australian National University (ANU), the meeting commenced with a panel on higher education in Australia, featuring Vice-Chancellors from ANU, University of Melbourne and UNSW Australia, discussing current challenges faced by Australian universities in seeking to fulfil educational and research objectives in the midst of higher educational policy reforms and regulations in Australia. Funding, and ensuring quality and equity in higher education remained key concerns for universities seeking to remain globally competitive and relevant while managing different expectations from the government and other stakeholders.

The session on “Big Data and the Shape of Things to Come" outlined the role and advancement of quantitative and qualitative representation of information in a data-intensive world, and the impact of quantifying data in higher education. Speakers from the Australian Information Communications Technology Research Centre of Excellence (NICTA) and Coursera shared their perspectives on the applicability and future of big data.

APM 2014's future initiatives session included a report of the year's work under APRU's new strategic framework and proposed guidelines for developing APRU hubs which act as coordination nodes for long and medium term collaboration on research, education, public policy development and community engagement among APRU member universities. Developments in APRU programs such as the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL)'s gender gap study in higher education, and a population ageing initiative were presented by member universities.

ANU hosted two formal dinners for delegates at the National Arboretum Canberra, the elegant conservatory and home to 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from Australia and around the world, and the National Gallery of Australia, which features collections of more than 160,000 works in Australian art, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art, Asian art and European and American art. Australian Senator the Hon Scott Ryan and the ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher addressed delegates at the respective dinners.

How can APRU universities contribute to the processes that shape the future of research universities in the Asia Pacific? Under APM 2013's overarching theme "Partnering on Education, Research and Innovation for Pacific Rim Challenges", a series of panel sessions at the meeting that included speakers from the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Elsevier and the Governor of Primorsky Krai of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Miklushevsky, addressed the future development and growth prospects of Northeast Asia and Russia, university engagement with regional communities and translating knowledge to policy.

This year's APM hosted by the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) in Vladivostok, Russia was attended by 15 presidents and 30 universities. APRU presidents also endorsed APRU's thematic priorities in Shaping Asia-Pacific Higher Education and Research, Creating Asia-Pacific Global Leaders and Partnering on Solutions to Asia-Pacific Challenges with key developments in the Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) and APRU-Chile Equity initiatives and the APRU-Tohoku Multi-hazards Program.

APRU presidents also agreed that APRU was well-positioned to play a role as a "collective expert" and partner for regional organizations in higher education, sharing the vision that closer collaboration in areas of education, research and innovation was possible and should be pursued.